The Kaaba (article) | Khan Academy Email The Kaaba, granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread, pre-Islamic monument, rededicated by Muhammad in 631-32 C.E., multiple renovations, Mecca, Saudi Arabia (photo: The Kaaba in the Masjid el Haram, 2010 Tab59, CC BY-SA 2.0) The Kaaba, pre-Islamic monument, rededicated by Muhammad in 631-32 C.E., multiple renovations, granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) Image credit: The Kaaba in the Masjid el Haram, 2010 Tab59, CC BY-SA 2.0 Prayer and pilgrimage Pilgrimage to a holy site is a core principle of almost all faiths. The Kaaba, meaning cube in Arabic, is a square building elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil. Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the holiest shrine in Islam.

In Islam, Muslims pray five times a day and after 624 CE, these prayers were directed towards Mecca and the Kaaba rather than Jerusalem; this direction—or qibla in Arabic—is marked in all mosques and enables the faithful to know in which direction they should pray. The Qur‘an established the direction of prayer. All Muslims aspire to undertake the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage, to the Kaaba once in their lives if they are able. Prayer five times a day and the hajj are two of the five pillars of Islam, the most fundamental principles of the faith. Upon arriving in Mecca, pilgrims gather in the courtyard of the Masjid al-Haram around the Kaaba. They then circumambulate—tawaf in Arabic—or walk around the Kaaba, during which they hope to kiss and touch the Black Stone—al-Hajar al-Aswad—embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.

View of pilgrims performing Tawaf (circumambulating) the Kaaba from the gate of Abdul Aziz (photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GNU version 1.2 only) View of pilgrims performing Tawaf (circumambulating) the Kaaba from the gate of Abdul Aziz Image credit: photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GNU version 1.2 only) The history and form of the Kaaba The Kaaba was a sanctuary in pre-Islamic times. Muslims believe that Abraham—known as Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition—and his son, Ismail, constructed the Kaaba. Tradition holds that it was originally a simple unroofed rectangular structure. The Quraysh tribe, who ruled Mecca, rebuilt the pre-Islamic Kaaba in c. 608 CE with alternating courses of masonry and wood. A door was raised above ground level to protect the shrine from intruders and flood waters. Muhammad was driven out of Mecca in 620 CE to Yathrib, which is now known as Medina. Upon his return to Mecca in 629/30 CE, the shrine became the focal point for Muslim worship and pilgrimage.

The pre-Islamic Kaaba housed the Black Stone and statues of pagan gods. Muhammad reportedly cleansed the Kaaba of idols upon his victorious return to Mecca, returning the shrine to the monotheism of Ibrahim. The Black Stone is believed to have been given to Ibrahim by the angel Gabriel and is revered by Muslims. Muhammad made a final pilgrimage in 632 CE, the year of his death, and thereby established the rites of pilgrimage. Modifications The Kaaba has been modified extensively throughout its history. The area around the Kaaba was expanded in order to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims by the second caliph, ‘Umar, who ruled 634-44 CE. The Caliph ‘Uthman, who ruled 644-56 CE, built the colonnades around the open plaza where the Kaaba stands and incorporated other important monuments into the sanctuary. During the civil war between the caliph Abd al-Malik and Ibn Zubayr, who controlled Mecca, the Kaaba was set on fire in 683 CE. Reportedly, the Black Stone broke into three pieces and Ibn Zubayr reassembled it with silver.

He rebuilt the Kaaba in wood and stone, following Ibrahim’s original dimensions and also paved the space around the Kaaba. After regaining control of Mecca, Abd al-Malik restored the part of the building that Muhammad is thought to have designed. None of these renovations can be confirmed through study of the building or archaeological evidence; these changes are only outlined in later literary sources. Reportedly under the Umayyad caliph al-Walid, who ruled 705-15 CE, the mosque that encloses the Kaaba was decorated with mosaics like those of the Dome of the Rock and the Great Mosque of Damascus. By the seventh century, the Kaaba was covered with kiswa, a black cloth that is replaced annually during the hajj. Under the early Abbasid Caliphs, who ruled from 50-1250 CE, the mosque around the Kaaba was expanded and modified several times. According to travel writers, such as the Ibn Jubayr who saw the Kaaba in 1183 CE, it retained the eighth century Abbasid form for several centuries.

From 1269-1517 CE, the Mamluks of Egypt controlled the Hijaz, the highlands in western Arabia where Mecca is located. Sultan Qaitbay, who ruled 1468-96 CE, built a madrasa—a religious school—against one side of the mosque. Under the Ottoman sultans, Süleyman I, who ruled 1520-1566 CE, and Selim II, who ruled 1566-74 CE, the complex was heavily renovated. In 1631 CE, the Kaaba and the surrounding mosque were entirely rebuilt after floods had demolished them in the previous year. This mosque, which is what exists today, is composed of a large open space with colonnades on four sides and with seven minarets, the largest number of any mosque in the world. At the center of this large plaza sits the Kaaba, as well as many other holy buildings and monuments. The last major modifications were carried out in the 1950s by the government of Saudi Arabia to accommodate the increasingly large number of pilgrims who come on the hajj.

Today the mosque covers almost 40 acres. The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque, 2008 (photo: Al Jazeera English, CC: BY 2.0) The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque, 2008 Image credit: Al Jazeera English, CC: BY 2.0 The Kaaba today Today, the Kaaba is a cubical structure, unlike almost any other religious structure. It is fifteen meters tall and ten and a half meters on each side; its corners roughly align with the cardinal directions. The door of the Kaaba is now made of solid gold; it was added in 1982. The kiswa—the large cloth that covers the Kaaba—used to be sent from Egypt with the hajj caravan but today is made in Saudi Arabia. Until the advent of modern transportation, all pilgrims undertook the often dangerous hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca in a large caravan across the desert, leaving from Damascus, Cairo, and other major cities in Arabia, Yemen, or Iraq.

The numerous changes to the Kaaba and its associated mosque serve as good reminder of how often buildings, even sacred ones, are renovated and remodeled either due to damage or to the changing needs of the community. Only Muslims may visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina today. Essay by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis Additional resources: Reported ISIS Member Says They Will Destroy The Kaaba In Mecca, 'Kill Those Who Worship Stones' [UPDATE] | The Huffington Post Reported ISIS Member Says They Will Destroy The Kaaba In Mecca, 'Kill Those Who Worship Stones' [UPDATE] 07/01/2014 10:43 am ET | Updated Jul 01, 2014 7.8k Yasmine Hafiz Associate Editor, Huffington Post Religion ASSOCIATED PRESS UPDATE 4:14 PM-- The Twitter account , which sent the original message, has been suspended. The authenticity of the account as belonging to an ISIS member has not been verified.

A reported member of the militant group Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which recently dubbed itself simply as The Islamic State , has declared that they will destroy the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is Islam's most holy site. APA quoted alleged ISIS member Abu Turab Al Mugaddasi based on reports from Turkish media , who said on Twitter: If Allah wills, we will kill those who worship stones in Mecca and destroy the Kaaba. People go to Mecca to touch the stones, not for Allah. ISIS reportedly is planning to take over the city of Arar in Saudi Arabia, which is very close to the Iraq border. It is a fifteen-hour drive away from Mecca, the site of the Hajj pilgrimage which all observant Muslims are expected to do at least once. If indeed the statement is from an ISIS member, it's a shocking one even for them, considering that ISIS has been attempting to increase recruitment from Muslims worldwide by declaring the restoration of an Islamic Caliphate. According to John L.

Esposito , Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, "In terms of legitimacy- unless you're someone who's ready to join a terrorist group at this point, for the vast majority of Muslims there is no legitimacy with this group." This most recent threat reinforces Esposito's point, particularly as it comes during the holy month of Ramadan. This piece has been updated to reflect the lack of authentication behind the reported tweet. Also on HuffPost: Ten Things You Didn't Know About The Kaaba - MuslimMatters.orgMuslimMatters.org November 15, 2012 Ten Things You Didn’t Know About The Kaaba There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Makkah. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth. Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day. The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.

The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery. Here are just a few things that most people may not know about the Kaaba: 10. It has been reconstructed several times Like this? Get more of our great articles. The Kaaba that we see today is not exactly the same Kaaba that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters. Of course, we all know of the major reconstruction that took place during the life of the Prophet before he became a Prophet . This is the occasion when the Prophet averted major bloodshed by his quick thinking on how to place the Black Stone using a cloth that every tribe could lift up. Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries. The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough, leading to the replacement of many of the stones and re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof.

This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (inshaAllah) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before. 9. It used to have two doors … and a window The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Kaaba only has one door and no window. 8. It used to be multi-coloured We are so used to the Kaaba being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can’t imagine it being any other colour. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household colour was black) and before this the Kaaba was covered in multiple colours including green, red and even white. 7. The keys are in the hands of one family At the time of the Prophet , each aspect to do with the rites of Hajj was in the hands of different sub-groups of the Quraish. Every one of these would eventually lose control of their guardianship of a particular rite except one.

On the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet was given the keys to the Kaaba and instead of keeping it in his own possession; he returned them back to the Osman ibn Talha ® of the Bani Shaiba family. They had been the traditional key keepers of the Kaaba for centuries; and the Prophet confirmed them in that role till the end of time by these words “Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.” Whether Caliph, Sultan or King – the most powerful men in the world have all had to bow to the words of the Prophet and ask permission from this small Makkan family before they can enter the Kaaba. 6. It used to be open to everyone Until recently, the Kaaba was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray. However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Kaaba is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.

Watch the video attached here to witness the doors of the Kaaba being opened (at 50 seconds) – and the simultaneous gasps of a Million people as they cry out at this auspicious moment. 5. You used to be able to swim around it One of the problems with having the Kaaba situated at the bottom of a valley is that when it rains – valleys tend to flood. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Makkah and the cause of a lot of trouble before the days of flood control systems and sewage. For days on end the Kaaba would be half submerged in water. Did that stop Muslims from performing the Tawaf? Of course not. As the picture below amply shows – Muslims just started swimming around the Kaaba. Modern adjustments to the surrounding landscape and flood prevention techniques mean we may never see such sights again. Or will we? Check out this recent video. 4. The inside contains plaques commemorating the rulers who renovated it For years many have wondered what it looks like inside the Kaaba. Relying on second or third hand accounts from those who were lucky enough to enter just wasn’t satisfying enough.

Then one lucky person who went inside took his camera phone in with him and Millions have seen the shaky footage online. The interior of the Kaaba is now lined with marble and a green cloth covering the upper walls. Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the House of Allah by the ruler of the day. Watch the video below of the only place on Earth that you can pray in any direction you want, the House of Allah, the first place of worship for mankind – the Kaaba. 3. There are two kaabas! Directly above the Kaaba in heaven is an exact replica. This Kaaba was mentioned in the Quran and by the Prophet . Black Stone of Mecca Kaaba Angel Gabriel Hajj Islam By Whitney Hopler Updated April 21, 2016. The Black Stone of Mecca is a crystal stone that Muslims believe came from heaven to earth through Archangel Gabriel . It is the centerpiece of a sacred ritual called tawaf that many pilgrims perform on hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia -- a pilgrimage that Islam requires its faithful to make at least once in their lifetimes, if at all possible.

The stone is located inside the Kaaba, a chamber in the center of the Masjid al-Haram mosque. The Kaaba, which is covered with a black drape, displays the black stone about five feet off the ground, and worshipers walk around it during their pilgrimages. Muslim pilgrims revere the stone as a powerful symbol of faith. Here's why: From Adam to Gabriel and Abraham Muslims believe that the first human being, Adam , originally received the black stone from God and used it as part of an altar for worship. Then, Muslims say, the stone was hidden for many years on a mountain, until Gabriel , the archangel of revelation, brought it to the prophet Abraham to use in another altar: the altar where God tested Abraham's faith by calling him to sacrifice his son Ishmael (unlike Jews and Christians, who believe that Abraham laid his son Isaac on the altar , Muslims believe that it was Abraham's son Ishmael instead). What Kind of Stone Is It? Since the stone's caretakers haven't allowed any scientific tests to be performed in the stone, people can only speculate on what type of stone it is -- and several popular theories exist. One says that the stone is a meteorite.

Other theories propose that the stone is basalt , agate , or obsidian. In his book Major World Religions: From Their Origins to the Present , Lloyd V. J. Ridgeon comments: "Regarded by some as a meteorite, the black stone symbolizes God’s right hand, thus touching or pointing to it reenacts the covenant between God and man, that is, man’s acknowledgement of God’s lordship." Turned from White to Black by Sin The black stone was originally white, but turned black from being in a fallen world where it absorbed the effects of humanity's sins , Muslim tradition says. In Pilgrimage, Davidson and Gitlitz write that the black stone is "the remains of what Muslims believe is the altar that Abraham built. Popular legends say that the black stone is a meteorite worshiped by pre-Muslims.

Some believe that the ancient stone was brought from a nearby mountain by the archangel Gabriel and that it was originally white; its black color comes from it having absorbed people’s sins." Broken But Now Held Together in Fragments The stone, which is about 11 inches by 15 inches in size, was damaged over the years and broke up into several pieces, so it is now held together inside a silver frame. Pilgrims may kiss or lightly touch it today. Walking Around the Stone The sacred ritual associated with the black stone is called tawaf. In their book Pilgrimage: From the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1 , Linda Kay Davidson and David Martin Gitlitz write: "In a rite called tawaf, which they perform three times during the hajj, they circumambulate the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times. ... Each time pilgrims pass the black stone they recite a prayer from the Qur’an : 'In the name of God, and God is supreme.' If they can, pilgrims approach the Kaaba and kiss it ...

or they make a gesture of kissing the Ka’ba each time if they cannot reach it." When he used the black stone in the altar he built to God, Abraham used it "as a mark to indicate the beginning and end points of pilgrims' circumambulations," write Hilmi Aydın, Ahmet Dogru, and Talha Ugurluel in their book The Sacred Trusts . They continue by describing the stone's role in tawaf today: "One is required to either kiss the stone or salute it from afar on each of the seven circumambulations." Circling God's Throne The circular paces that pilgrims make around the black stone are symbolic of how angels constantly circle around God's throne in heaven , writes Malcolm Clark in his book Islam For Dummies . Clark comments that the Kaaba "is believed to be a replica of the house of God in the seventh heaven, where God’s throne is located.

Worshipers, in circling around the Kaaba, duplicate the movements of the angels continuously circling around the throne of God." The Kaba in Makkah: It's size and history | SoundVision.com The Kaba in Makkah: It's size and history Samana Siddiqui The small, cubed building known as the Kaba may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. The Kaba is the building towards which Muslims face five times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over 1400 years ago. The Size of the Kaba The current height of the Kaba is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to 627 square feet. The inside room of the Kaba is 13X9 meters. The Kaba's walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform Tawaf. The ceiling and roof are two levels made out of wood. They were reconstructed with teak which is capped with stainless steel.

The walls are all made of stone. The stones inside are unpolished, while the ones outside are polished. This small building has been constructed and reconstructed by Prophets Adam, Ibrahim, Ismail and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). No other building has had this honor. Yet, not very much is known about the details of this small but significant building. Did you know the Kaba was reconstructed as recently as close to four years ago? Did you know that the Kaba has been subjected to danger by natural disasters like flooding, as well as human attacks? If you didn't keep reading. You'll find some rarely heard of information discussed below and discover facts about the Kaba many are unaware of. The other names of the Kaba Literally, Kaba in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The word Kaba may also be derivative of a word meaning a cube. Some of these other names include: Bait ul Ateeq-which means, according to one meaning, the earliest and ancient. According to the second meaning, it means independent and liberating.

Both meanings could be taken Bait ul Haram-the honorable house The Kaba has been reconstructed up to 12 times Scholars and historians say that the Kaba has been reconstructed between five to 12 times. The very first construction of the Kaba was done by Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Allah says in the Quran that this was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah. After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) rebuilt the Kaba. The measurements of the Kaba's Ibrahimic foundation are as follows: -the eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches -the Hateem side wall was 33 feet -the side between the black stone and the Yemeni corner was 30 feet -the Western side was 46.5 feet Following this, there were several constructions before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be uponj him) 's time. Reconstruction of Kaba by Quraish Prophet Muhammad participated in one of its reconstructions before he became a Prophet. After a flash flood, the Kaba was damaged and its walls cracked. It needed rebuilding. This responsibility was divided among the Quraish's four tribes. Prophet Muhammad helped with this reconstruction.

Once the walls were erected, it was time to place the Black Stone, (the Hajar ul Aswad) on the eastern wall of the Kaba. Arguments erupted about who would have the honor of putting the Black Stone in its place. A fight was about to break out over the issue, when Abu Umayyah, Makkah's oldest man, proposed that the first man to enter the gate of the mosque the following morning would decide the matter. That man was the Prophet. The Makkans were ecstatic. "This is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen)," they shouted in a chorus. "This is Muhammad". He came to them and they asked him to decide on the matter. He agreed. Prophet Muhammad proposed a solution that all agreed to-putting the Black Stone on a cloak, the elders of each of the clans held on to one edge of the cloak and carried the stone to its place. The Prophet then picked up the stone and placed it on the wall of the Kaba. Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Kaba as built by Prophet Ibrahim.

This is the first time the Kaba acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The portion of the Kaba left out is called Hateem now. Construction After the Prophet's Time-Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr The Syrian army destroyed the Kaba in Muharram 64 (Hijri date) and before the next Hajj Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reconstructed the Kaba from the ground up. Ibn az-Zubayr wanted to make the Kaba how the Prophet Muhammad wanted it, on the foundation of the Prophet Ibrahim. Ibn az-Zubayr said, "I heard Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say, 'The Prophet said: "If your people had not quite recently abandoned the Ignorance (Unbelief), and if I had sufficient provisions to rebuild it [the Kaba], I would have added five cubits to it from the Hijr. Also, I would make two doors; one for people to enter therein and the other to exit." (Bukhari).

Ibn az-Zubayr said, "Today, I can afford to do it and I do not fear the people. Ibn az-Zubayr built the Kaba on Prophet Ibrahim's foundation. He put the roof on three pillars with the wood of Aoud (a perfumed wood with aroma which is traditionally burned to get a good smell out of it in Arabia). In his construction he put two doors, one facing the east the other facing the west, as the Prophet wanted but did not do in his lifetime. He rebuilt the Kaba on the Prophet Ibrahim's foundation, which meant that the Hateem area was included. The Hateem is the area adjacent to the Kaba enclosed by a low semi-circular wall. Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr also made the following additions and modifications: -put a small window close to the roof of the Kaba to allow for light. -moved the door of the Kaba to ground level and added a second door to the Kaba. -added nine cubits to the height of the Kaba, making it twenty cubits high. -its walls were two cubits wide. -reduced the pillars inside the House to three instead of six as were earlier built by Quraish.

For reconstruction, ibn az-Zubayr put up four pillars around Kaba and hung cloth over them until the building was completed. People began to do Tawaf around these pillars at all times, so Tawaf of the Kaba was never abandoned, even during reconstruction. During Abdul Malik bin Marwan's time In 74 Hijri (or 693 according to the Gregorian calendar), Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the known tyrant of that time, with the approval of Umayyad Khalifa Abdul Malik bin Marwan, demolished what Ibn az-Zubayr had added to it from the older foundation of Prophet Ibrahim, restore its old structure as the Quraish had had it. Some of the changes he made were the following: -he rebuilt it in the smaller shape which is found today -took out the Hateem -walled up the western door (whose signs are still visible today) and left the rest as it was -pulled down the wall in the Hateem area. -removed the wooden ladder Ibn az-Zubayr had put inside the Kaba.

-reduced the door's height by five cubits When Abdul Malik bin Marwan came for Umra and heard the Hadith that it was wish of Prophet for the Kaba to be constructed the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr had built it, he regretted his actions. Imam Malik's advice to the Khalifa Harun al Rasheed Abbasi Khalifa Harun al Rasheed wanted to rebuild the Kaba the way the Prophet Muhammad wanted and the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr built it. But when he consulted Imam Malik, the Imam asked the Khalifa to change his mind because constant demolition and rebuilding is not respectful and would become a toy in the hands of kings. Each one would want to demolish and rebuild the Kaba. Based on this advice, Harun al Rasheed did not reconstruct the Kaba. The structure remained in the same construction for 966 years, with minor repairs here and there. Reconstruction during Sultan Murad Khan's time In the year 1039 Hijri, because of heavy rain, flood and hail, two of the Kaba's walls fell down.

The flood during which this occurred took place on the 19th of Shaban 1039 Hijri which continued constantly, so the water in the Kaba became almost close to half of its walls, about 10 feet from the ground level. On Thursday the 20th of Shaban 1039 Hijri, the eastern and western walls fell down. When flood receded on Friday the 21st of Shaban, the cleanup started. Again, a curtain, the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr established on 4 pillars, was put up, and the reconstruction started on the 26th of Ramadan. The rest of the walls except for the one near the Black Stone, were demolished. By the 2nd of Zul-Hijjah 1040 the construction was taking place under the guidance of Sultan Murad Khan, the Ottoman Khalifa. From the point of the Black stone and below, the current construction is the same as that done by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr.

The construction which was done under the auspices of Murad Khan was exactly the one done at the time of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan which is the way the Quraysh had built it before Prophethood. On Rajab 28 1377, One historian counted the total stones of the Kaba and they were 1,614. These stones are of different shapes. But the stones which are inside the outer wall which is visible are not counted in there. Reconstruction of the Kaba In 1996 A major reconstruction of the Kaba took place between May 1996 and October 1996. This was after a period of about 400 years (since Sultan Murad Khan's time). During this reconstruction the only original thing left from the Kaba are the stones. All other material has been replaced including the ceiling and the roof and its wood. What is inside the Kaba? Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi is the president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He had the opportunity to go inside the Kaba in October 1998.

In an interview with Sound Vision, he described the following features: there are two pillars inside (others report 3 pillars) there is a table on the side to put items like perfume there are two lantern-type lamps hanging from the ceiling the space can accommodate about 50 people there are no electric lights inside the walls and floors are of marble there are no windows inside there is only one door the upper inside walls of the Kaba were covered with some kind of curtain with the Kalima written on it Photo Attribution: Al-Jazeera - © Sound Vision Foundation Note: Please share this article using our share buttons below. However, for permission to distribute electronically or in print, please send an email to Copyrights@SoundVision.com. Thank you. Kaaba | Islamic Learning Materials by Abu Ibrahim • 20 Comments A Prophet, A Slave, and A Baby The story of the Kaaba begins over a thousand years before the birth of Christ, when an old man, a woman, and their infant son wandered into a deserted valley near the eastern coast of Arabia. The old man was Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), the woman was his Egyptian slave Hajjar (Hagar), and the baby was their son Ismail (Ishmael).

Acting on the instructions of his Lord, Ibrahim left his family behind in the valley of Mecca with only a few provisions. When those provisions ran out, Hajjar went in search of help. She left the baby Ismail behind as she ran between the two mountains bordering the valley. When Hajjar returned, she found an angel stooped beside her baby. With the tip of his wing (some say the heel of his foot) the angel dug a hole in the sand. Miraculously, a spring of water began to shoot up from the desert floor. As promised, Allah almighty was caring for His servants. A City Is Born Not long after this event, a small band of Bedouin passing through saw birds in the sky. The Bedouin knew these birds only appeared where there was water. But they also knew there was no water in this area. Curious, they followed the birds until they found Hajjar and her son near the new spring of water. The Bedouin asked for permission to settle near the well, and Hajjar agreed. As time went by, the little settlement continued to grow as more and more families settled in the valley. This was the beginning of the city we now know as Mecca.

Building The Kaaba As the city grew, so did the baby Ismail. His father, Prophet Ibrahim, would come to visit. When Ismail was a young man, Allah instructed them to build a house of worship. This structure was built in the shape of a cube and would be known as the Kaaba. Prophet Ibrahim would continue to visit Mecca and the Kaaba every year on an annual pilgrimage. The people of the settlement followed the faith of Ibrahim, Ismail, and Hajjar. The Kaaba became the center of worship in the growing city. Ismail was a prophet of Allah like his father, and instructed the people of his town to practice Tawheed, or pure monotheism. The Kaaba And Hajj Are Corrupted By Idolatry But as the city grew, people began to move further and further away from the Kaaba and from Prophet Ismail. Eventually, Prophet Ibrahim died, as did Hajjar, and Prophet Ismail. As the early generations of Mecca passed, they were replaced by others who did not know or forgot the original monotheistic purpose of the Kaaba and Ibrahim’s annual pilgrimage (Hajj).

The Hajj pilgrimage became a celebratory occasion, and the Kaaba was stocked with idols and false deities. Men and women would run naked throughout the holy precinct. Merchants from all over would travel to the Kaaba and set up shop during the pilgrimage. People and tribes from all over Arabia would make the journey to Mecca to take part in the festivities. But this annual pilgrimage had nothing to do with the worship of Allah or the practices of Ibrahim, Ismail, and Hajjar. It was simply a time to make money, drink alcohol, and commit immoral acts. It would not be until the conquest of Mecca by Prophet Muhammad, a descendant of Prophet Ismail, that the Kaaba would be returned to its monotheistic purposes. Related Articles: Ka'ba : Mataf Expansion Project Simulation - YouTube Ka'ba : Mataf Expansion Project Simulation Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Nov 27, 2012 The Kaaba, a large stone structure constituting a single room with a marble floor, lies at the heart of the Holy Mosque (al Masjid al Haram) in the Holy City of Makkah. The Kaaba is Islam's holiest building. It now stands some 60 feet high and each side is approximately 60 feet in length. The Kaaba is the focal point around which the Holy Mosque is built. The four walls of the Kaaba are covered with a black curtain (the Kiswah) which reaches to the ground and is fastened to the Shadharwan with copper rings. The door of the Kaaba is set in the south-east wall, about seven feet from the ground. Inside, there are pillars, which support the roof. The interior is furnished with many gold and silver lamps. On the inner walls, there are several bands of inscriptions which record the many repairs done to the Kaaba. The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael were the true founders of the Kaaba, together building the holy shrine dedicated to the worship of the one true God.

Five times each day more than a billion Muslims around the world turn to face the direction of the Kaaba to offer their prayers to the one true God. It is also, of course, the focal point of the Hajj when, once each year, some two million pilgrims converge on the Holy City of Makkah. Set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba is the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad). The Black Stone predates the birth of Islam but now, set in gold, forms an integral part of the Kaaba. In the course of the pilgrimage, the Hajjis will kiss or touch the Black Stone, not because the Black Stone is holy in itself but because it was kissed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). On the roof of the Kaaba is a gilt water spout (al-Masabb) which projects out from the north-west wall. Opposite the north-west wall of the Kaaba, but not joined to it, is a semi-circular wall (Al-Hateem) which is 5ft high and 3ft thick. This area is also known as Hijr Ishmael.

To the north-east side of the Kaaba is the Maqam Ibrahim, a small kiosk of glass and metal topped by a small dome. In it is kept the stone on which Ibrahim stood while building the Kaaba. Nearly opposite the Black Stone, near the Maqam Ibrahim, is the well of Zamzam. The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah IPA: [ʔælˈkæʕbɐ], "The Cube"), also known as al-Kaʿba(tu) l-Mušarrafah (الكعبة المشرفة; "The Noble Cube"), al-Baytu l-ʿAtīq (البيت العتيق; "The Primordial House"), or al-Baytu l-Ḥarām (البيت الحرام; "The Sacred/Forbidden House") is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam.[1] The building has a mosque (Masjid) built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world are supposed to face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are.

From any given point in the world, the direction facing the Kaaba is called the Qiblah. One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from above). This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage).[1] However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.[2][3] The Kaaba is located inside the Masjid al-Ḥarām (المسجد الحرام, the "Sacred Mosque") in the center of Mecca (مكة Makkah). It is a cuboid-shape structure which is made of granite quarried from nearby hills.

Standing upon a 25 cm (10 in) marble base that projects outwards about 35 cm (14 in).[1] It is approximately 13.1 m (43 ft) high, with sides measuring 11.03 m (36.2 ft) by 12.86 m (42.2 ft).[4][5] Inside the Kaaba, the floor is made of marble and limestone. The interior walls are clad with marble halfway to the roof. The marble is inset with Qur'anic inscriptions. The wall directly adjacent to the entrance of the Kaaba has six tablets inlaid with inscriptions. The top part of the walls are covered with a green cloth embroidered with gold Qur'anic verses. Caretakers anoint the marble cladding with scented oil used on the Black Stone outside. Three pillars stand inside the Kaaba, with a small altar set between one and the other two. Lamp-like objects (possible crucible censers) hang by a rope above the platform. An enclosed staircase leads to the roof.

Category The Ka’aba, The House Of Allah | Story of the Holy Ka’aba And its People | Books on Islam and Muslims | Al-Islam.org Story of the Holy Ka’aba And its People The Twelfth Imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (Al-Mahdi-Sahibuz Zaman) (The hidden Imam who is expected to return) The Ka’aba, The House Of Allah In the province of Hejaz in the western part of Arabia, not far from the Red Sea, there lies the town of Makka. In the center of this town there is a small square building made of stones, about 60 feet long, 60 feet wide and 60 feet high. Since time immemorial this town and this stone built house has been known to world travelers. This is Baitullah, the House of Allah. Its sanctity and antiquity is older than history itself. Tradition goes that the Kaaba was ordained by Allah to be built in the shape of the House in Heaven called Baitul Ma’amoor. Allah in his infinite Mercy ordained a similar place on earth and Prophet Adam was the first to build this place.

The Bible, in the Chapter of Genesis describes its building when God ordained Abraham to erect a Shrine for worship when Abraham was ordered to go to the Southern desert with his wife Hagera and infant son Ismael. The Old Testament describes this building as the Shrine of God at several places, but the one built at Ma’amoor is very much similar to the one at Makka. There is no doubt that it was referring to the stone built house at Makka. Qur’an brought this story into the full light of history. In Sura 3:90 Qur’an says “Allah has spoken the Truth, therefore follow the creed of Ibrahim, a man of pure faith and no idolater”. The first house established for the people was at Makka, a Holy place and guidance to all beings. Qur’an firmly establishes the fact that Ibrahim was the real founder of the Holy Shrine. When Prophet Ibrahim built the Holy Shrine in Makka, his prayers were that this place should remain a center of worship for all good and pious people; that Allah should keep his family the custodians of the Holy place.

Ever since, Ismael the son of Ibrahim who helped his father to build this place and his descendants remained the custodians of the Holy Shrine. History tells us that centuries passed and the guardianship of the Kaaba remained in the family of Ismael until the name of Abde Manaf came into the limelight. He inherited this service and made it much more prominent. His son Hashim took this leadership and extended it to many other towns of Hejaz so much so that many pilgrims flocked annually to this place and enjoyed Hashims’s hospitality. A feast was given in honor of the pilgrims, food and water was served to all guests by the family of Hashim. This prominence created jealousy and his brother Abdu sham’s adopted son Ummayya tried to create trouble. There was a dispute in which Ummayya failed and left Makka to settle down in the Northern provinces of Syria(Sham) currently known as Syria. After Hashim his brother Muttalib and after him Hashim’s son Shyba who became known as Abdul Muttalib assumed the leadership of the family.

He organized feasts and supplies of water to the pilgrims during the annual festival of Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine. Prophet Ibrahim built this House for devout worship to one God. But within his lifetime people disobeyed his orders and began to put idols inside the Kaaba. Ibrahim had to clean the House of these idols and of Idle worshippers. He told the people that this was a symbolic house of God. God does not live there for He is everywhere. People did not understand this logic and no sooner had Ibrahim died the people, out of reverence, filled the place with idols again. They thronged to this place annually and worshipped their personal gods, It was over Four Thousand years later that the last of the line of prophet (S), Muhammad Ibne Abdullah entered Makka triumphantly, went inside the Ka’aba and, with the help of his cousin and son in law ‘Ali Ibne Abi Talib, (as) destroyed all the idols of Ka’aba with their own hands. At one stage of this destruction of idols, the tallest of the idol Hubbol was brought down after ‘Ali had to stand on the shoulders of the Prophet to carry out God’s orders.

The Prophet of Islam was reciting the Verse from the Qur’an: “Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished.” (17:81) This was done in the 8th year of Hijra, January 630 AD after the bloodless victory at Makka by the Prophet of Islam. Historically when Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to build the Shrine for worship over a small he uncovered the original foundations of the Kaaba built by Adam. Ibrahim with the help of his son Ismael erected the new shrine on the same foundations. Originally it contained only four walls without a roof . Centuries later during the time of Kusayi who was the leader of the Tribe of Quraish in Makka a taller building was completed with a roof and a quadrangle wall around it to give it the shape of a sanctuary and doors all around the sanctuary walls. People entered through these doors to come to the Ka’aba for worship. It is now about 60 feet high, 60 feet wide from east to west and 60 feet from north to south. A door is fixed about 7 feet above ground level facing North East. A Black stone (Hajar al Aswad) was fixed into its eastern corner.

In front of the building was Maqame Ibrahim, the arch shape gate known as that of Banu Shayba and the Zamzam Well. Just outside are the Hills called Safa and Merwa and the distance between the hills is about 500 yards. These days both of the hills are enclosed into the sanctuary walls with a roof over it. The whole building is built of the layers of grey blue stone from the hills surrounding Makka. The four corners roughly face the four points of the compass. At the East is the Black stone (Rukn el Aswad), at the North is el Ruken el Iraqi, at the west al Rukne el Shami and at the south al Rukne el Yamani. The four walls are covered with a curtain (Kiswa). The kiswa is usually of black brocade with the Shahada outlined in the weave of the fabric. About 2/3rd’s of the way up runs a gold embroidered band covered with Qur’anic text. In the Eastern corner about 5 feet above ground the Hajar el Aswad (the blackstone) is fixed into the wall. Its real nature is difficult to determine, its visible shape is worn smooth by hand touching and kissing.

Its diameter is around 12 inches. Opposite the North west wall but not connected with it, is a semicircular wall of white marble. It is 3 feet high and about 5 feet thick. This semicircular space enjoys an especial consideration and pilgrims wait in queue to find a place to pray there. The graves of Ismael and his mother Hajera are within this semicircular wall. Between the archway and the facade (N.E.) is a little building with a small dome, the Maqame Ibrahim. Inside it is kept a stone bearing the prints of two human feet. Prophet Ibrahim is said to have stood on this stone when building the Ka’aba and marks of his feet are miraculously preserved. On the outskirts of the building to the North East is the ‘Zamzam Well’ (this is now put under ground). History of Mecca (Makkah) | History of the Kaaba (Videos) NOTHING FOUND! History of Mecca ••• Part 1 of 5 About 4,000 years ago, Allah commanded Prophet Abraham (pbuh) to leave Palestine to a barren, uninhabited land later to be known as Mecca.

He (pbuh) brought wife Hajar and baby son Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) on this journey. Allah (the Gloried and Exalted) commanded Prophet Abraham (pbuh) to return to Palestine alone. Hajar ran seven times back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah in desperate search for water for her baby (pbuh) dying of thirst when miraculously the spring of ZamZam slowly appeared at her baby’s feet. Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) commanded Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) years later to build a house of worship now known as the Kaaba. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) established Mecca as one of the two holiest cities in Islam. Masjid Al-Haram has been expanded numerous times from 10,270 square meters under the Umayyad Dynasty to 160,000 square meters in the 1960’s. The number of people performing Hajj increased dramatically from 100,000 in the 1920’s to 200,000 in the 1950’s.

Masjid Al-Haram could accompany more than 400,000 people performing Hajj at the same time in the 1960’s. The Kaaba was only covered with a black cloth known as the Kiswa prior to the Umayyad Dynasty. The current practice of using a Kiswa covered with verses of the Quran to cover the Kaaba began in the Umayyad Dynasty. History of Mecca ••• Part 2 of 5 The appearance of the Kaaba has been changed multiple times throughout history. The material and style of both the keys and doors of the Kaaba has been changed multiple times throughout history. The way Hajj is performed has never changed though out history. The keys to the Kaaba hold special meaning to Muslims. It is the holders of these keys that have the final say in the affairs of Mecca and Medina. The glass casing housing Markham Abraham has been changed multiple times throughout history. The building that housed the Zamzam well that had been located right in front of the Kaaba was demolished in 1955 and replaced with an underground complex during the first phase of the renovations works to the water distribution system.

History of Mecca ••• Part 3 of 5 The second phase of the renovation works of the water distribution system was completed in 1976 allowed for the unlimited supply of Zamzam water to all pilgrims. The installation of a powerful water pump system was completed in 1980 as part of the third phase of the renovation works of the water distribution system. A scientific study found that Zamzam water had more calcium and magnesium than regular water. The taste of Zamzam water has never changed since its origin. Jeddah has become the main entry point to Mecca and Medina for pilgrims. Modern infrastructure has made the trip to Mecca much faster and easier for pilgrims. An arch-like building with the Holy Quran made of stone was constructed over a highway in 1986 to mark one of the entrances to Mecca. Mecca is 360 meters above sea level surrounded by hills and mountains. The Kaaba is located in the center of Mecca. History of Mecca ••• Part 4 of 5 How Hajj is performed has never changed throughout history. The physical appearance of Masjid Al-Haram (Grand Mosque) has changed many times throughout history.

Masjid Al-Haram (Grand Mosque) can accommodate more than 2 million people during hajj. The cube-shaped structure in the center of the Masjid Al-Haram (Grand Mosque) is the Kaaba. The Kaaba was covered by a plain black cloth made of silk during the early years of Islam. The Umayyad Dynasty introduced a new practice of putting verses of the Holy Quran on the Kiswah and using two of them each year. The Abbasid Dynasty introduced the practice of changing the Kiswah rather than just putting a new Kiswah over the old one. The Fattamid Dynasty introduced the practice of building a special Kiswah factory to create superior Kiswahs ordained with verses of the Holy Quran and is a practice that continues to the present. It takes fifty skilled workers nearly eight months to produce a Kiswah. The cost of producing a Kiswah is more than 4.5 million dollars. History of Mecca ••• Part 5 of 5 The number of pilgrims performing Hajj has dramatically increased within the last century. The Saudi government has successfully executed their responsibility to renovate and expand facilities to promote the comfort and safety of the pilgrims performing Hajj.

The Kaaba has been rebuilt several times. The original structure of the Kaaba was made of wood. The original structure of the Kaaba was replaced with four stone walls and a marble roof during the Ottoman rule over Mecca. The Hajar Al-Aswad (Black Stone) is the only part of the Kaaba that has remained in its original form embedded at one of the corners of the Kaaba. The Hajar Al-Aswad (Black Stone) was the same stone selected by Prophet Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) to build the Kaaba. Mecca receives the largest number of pilgrims in the entire world due to Hajj. The Kaaba is the symbol of unity to the nearly 1.2 billion Muslims around the world not only because of Hajj but because it is also the direction to prayer. Islamic Videos Mecca - My trip to Saudi Arabia Part I - YouTube Mecca - My trip to Saudi Arabia Part I Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now.

Please try again later. Published on Aug 1, 2012 Mecca, the holiest city in Islam is only 70 km from Jeddah where I was staying for a few weeks. Mecca is where Prophet Mohammed was born and where the Quoran was composed. I was surprised to see that Mecca was actually a big city, in my mind, I always thought that it was a small holy place with the Kabaa. The Kabaa is a cubical shaped building, covered with a beautiful black cloth embroidered with gold Quranic verses. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are When performing piligrimage, Muslims walk around the Kaaba 7 times while reciting verses. When reaching the spot of the Black Stone (in the eastern corner of the kabaa), the piligrims salute it. It is believed that this stone fell from Heaven. the piligrims also drink ZamZam water, the holy water that was revealed to Hagar, Abraham's wife, when she desperately was looking for water in the desert. The mosque within the Kabaa location is beautiful. Its arches interlace in an infinite design.

More than 15 million Muslims visit Mecca every year and I was amazed how clean and spotless it was! The prayer call has began, I'll let you listen to it.... Category

Question: In which city is the Kabaa?
Answer: Mecca